School of Nursing
Dean: Dr. Mary W. Stewart
Mississippi State University-Meridian
Riley Campus
2212 5th Street
Meridian, MS 39301
601-696-2277
info@nursing.msstate.edu
Website: nursing.msstate.edu
The mission (why we exist) of the School of Nursing is to provide access and opportunity to exemplary graduate nursing education in Mississippi and beyond.
Our vision (where we want to be): To be a community of nurse scholars, leading graduate nursing education and ensuring a better life for all through learning, discovery, service, advocacy, and caring for what matters.
The foundational tenets of the School of Nursing are learning, discovery, service, and advocacy. These principles emanate from a commitment to caring and creating a community of belonging for all persons.
MSU-SON Foundational Tenets and Broad Goals for Program Graduates
Learning: Graduates will apply specialized nursing competencies in dynamic and diverse health care settings.
Discovery: Graduates will create solutions to better the world’s health starting in their own backyard.
Service: Graduates will engage in making life better for citizens and communities.
Advocacy: Graduates will lead change for health equity, access, and social justice.
Associate Dean and Program Director: Dr. Kayla Carr
The Master of Science in Nursing program offers an educational pathway to practice as a Registered Nurse for those who have earned at least a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field of study. The education sequence consists of 58-semester credit hours offered over an accelerated, three term format. The competency-based program is face-to-face and consists of lecture, laboratory, and clinical practicum courses. Graduates of the program meet entry-to-practice competencies for the role of Registered Nurse and upon graduation are eligible for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.
The Master of Science in Nursing degree program in nursing at Mississippi State University School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://ccneaccreditation.org).
Program of Study
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (2021) and the AACN Essentials of Master's Education (2011) serve as the framework for the curriculum. Other professional standards, guidelines, and competencies incorporated in the curriculum include the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Core Competencies (2023), the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) NCLEX Test Plan (2022), and the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Competencies (2022).
Students can expect purposeful didactic, simulation, and/or clinical practice experiences that enable students to provide care to individuals and populations with diverse life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. Likewise, planned experiences foster interprofessional collaborative practice.
End of Program Student Learner Outcomes
1. Synethsize knowledge from nursing, previous learning, and life experiences as a basis for professional nursing practice.
2. Provide, coordinate, and manage person-centered care for individuals, families, populations, and communities across the four spheres of care.
3. Communicate, collaborate, and apply leadership skills to participate in and lead interprofessional health care teams to improve health outcomes.
4. Critically appraise evidence-based studies for application to practice with diverse populations within different healthcare practice settings.
5. Use quality improvement strategies to inform clinical practice, promote change, and improve quality of care for individuals, families, and populations.
6. Contribute to a culture of safety and support the development of strategies designed to mitigate unsafe environments.
7. Coordinate resources and generate innovative solutions within complex systems of health care to ensure safe, quality, equitable care that influences health outcomes.
8. Use information, communication technologies, and informatics tools to advocate for equitable access and assist patients and consumers to these tools to engage in care and improve health.
9. Express one's identity as a nurse through actions that reflect integrity; a commitment to evidence-based practice, caring, advocacy, and service for diverse patients, families, and populations.
10. Display actions aligned with a capacity to engage in self-reflection and leadership, continued lifelong learning through a spirit of discovery, and ongoing commitment to personal well-being.
| Fall Term 1 (21 Credits) | ||
| NSG 6002 | Professionalism I: Foundations of Graduate Nursing Practice | 2 |
| NSG 6015 | Person-Centered Care I: Fundamental Concepts for Nursing Practice | 5 |
| NSG 6025 | Person-Centered Care I: Practicum | 5 |
| NSG 6033 | Health Assessment and Physical Examination | 3 |
| NSG 6043 | Principles of Pathophysiology and Pharmacology | 3 |
| NSG 6053 | Nursing Science: Translation and Application to Practice | 3 |
| Spring Term 2 (24 Credits) | ||
| NSG 6103 | Professionalism II: Leadership in Health Systems | 3 |
| NSG 6116 | Person-Centered Care II: Applied Clinical Judgment in Nursing Practice | 6 |
| NSG 6125 | Person-Centered Care II: Practicum | 5 |
| NSG 6134 | Applied Clinical Judgment in Specialty Populations | 4 |
| NSG 6141 | Specialty Populations Practicum | 1 |
| NSG 6152 | Population Health and Policy | 2 |
| NSG 6163 | Patient Safety and Quality Improvement | 3 |
| Summer Term 3 (13 Credits) | ||
| NSG 8204 | Professionalism III: Transition to Nursing Practice | 4 |
| NSG 8213 | Person-Centered Care III: Advancing Clinical Judgment in Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NSG 8224 | Person-Centered Care III: Practicum | 4 |
| NSG 8232 | Clinical Synthesis Practicum | 2 |
| Total Hours | 58 | |
*Note: In addition to the introductory course NSG 6043 Principles of Pathophysiology and Pharmacology, advanced, graduate-level concepts of pharmacology and pathophysiology are incorporated across the curriculum.
NSG 6000 Emphasis Area Elective: 1-3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Admission to the MSN Program). One to three hours directed individual study. This elective course provides the opportunity for in-depth exploration of a selected area of professional interest. In collaboration with the faculty advisor, the student will design individualized learning objectives, course topics, and scholarly deliverables that align with the student’s selected emphasis area. The course may be repeated up to four times
NSG 6002 Professionalism I: Foundations of Graduate Nursing Practice: 2 hours.
(Prerequisite: Admission into MSN program). Two hours lecture. This course is designed to cultivate a sustainable professional nursing identity that integrates the experiences of individuals and the characteristics and values of nursing
NSG 6015 Person-Centered Care I: Fundamental Concepts for Nursing Practice: 5 hours.
(Prerequisite: Admission into AMSN program; Co-requisite NSG 6025). Five hours lecture. The first course in the Person-Centered Care series explores the fundamental concepts of professional nursing practice
NSG 6025 Person-Centered Care I: Practicum: 5 hours.
(Prerequisite: Admission into AMSN program, Co-requisite NSG 6015). Ten hours clinical lab. The first course in the Person-Centered Care Practicum series allows for the applied techniques of safe performance of nursing skills
NSG 6033 Health Assessment and Physical Examination: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Admission into the AMSN program). Two hours lecture. Two hours lab. This course explores the foundations of health assessment to inform clinical judgment
NSG 6043 Principles of Pathophysiology and Pharmacology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Admission into the AMSN program). Three hours lecture. This course presents common pathophysiological processes as they appear across the lifespan and related pharmacotherapeutics
NSG 6053 Nursing Science: Translation and Application to Practice: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Admission into the AMSN program). Three hours lecture. This course equips students to advance nursing scholarship, integrate evidence into practice, and promote ethical conduct of scholarly activities
NSG 6100 Graduate Nursing Practicum: 1-3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Admission to MSN Program). One to three hours practicum. Students will apply concepts of professionalism, leadership, and scholarship in a practical setting that aligns with their selected area of program emphasis. This practicum aims to develop students practical competency in the role of a graduate-prepared nurse in settings such as health sciences education, policy, population health, and leadership. This course may be repeated four times
NSG 6103 Professionalism II: Leadership in Health Systems: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: NSG 6002). Three hours lecture. This course promotes leadership development and prepares students to engage in organizational and systems leadership to improve health outcomes, eliminate health disparities, and promote excellence in practice
NSG 6116 Person-Centered Care II: Applied Clinical Judgment in Nursing Practice: 6 hours.
(Prerequisite: NSG 6015, NSG 6025, NSG 6033, NSG 6043, NSG 6053. Corequisite: NSG 6125). Six hours lecture. The second course in the Person-Centered Care series emphasizes incorporating and applying interrelated nursing concepts within multiple contexts across the healthcare continuum
NSG 6125 Person-Centered Care II: Practicum: 5 hours.
(Prerequisite: NSG 6015, NSG 6025, NSG 6033, NSG 6043, NSG 6053. Corequisite: NSG 6116). Ten hours clinical lab. This is the second course in a three-part practicum series focused on Person-Centered Care
NSG 6134 Applied Clinical Judgment in Specialty Populations: 4 hours.
(Prerequisites: NSG 6015, NSG 6025, NSG 6033, NSG 6043, NSG 6053. Corequisite: NSG 6141). Four hours lecture. This course focuses on the nurse’s role in management of care for specialty patient populations
NSG 6141 Specialty Populations Practicum: 1 hour.
(Prerequisites: NSG 6015, NSG 6025, NSG 6033, NSG 6043, NSG 6053. Corequisite: NSG 6134). Two hours clinical lab. This practicum course accompanies the Applied Clinical Judgment in Specialty Populations course
NSG 6152 Population Health and Policy: 2 hours.
(Prerequisites: Admission to MSN Program). Two hours lecture. This course focuses on principles of population health, and reduction of health disparity through advocacy, social justice, and policy
NSG 6163 Patient Safety and Quality Improvement: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: NSG 6015, NSG 6025, NSG 6033, NSG 6043, NSG 6053). Three hours lecture. This course fosters critical thinking and clinical judgment through integration and synthesis of content related to safe, quality person-centered care
NSG 8204 Professionalism III: Transition to Nursing Practice: 4 hours.
(Prerequisite: NSG 6103, NSG 6116, NSG 6125, NSG 6134, NSG 6141, NSG 6152, NSG 6163). Four hours lecture. This course fosters critical thinking and clinical judgment through integration and synthesis of practice concepts and principles of professionalism, leadership, and scholarship
NSG 8213 Person-Centered Care III: Advancing Clinical Judgment in Nursing Practice: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: NSG 6116, NSG 6125, NSG 6134, NSG 6141, NSG 6152, NSG 6163; Corequisite: NSG 8224). Three hours lecture. The final course in the Person-Centered Care series focuses on the nurse’s role in person centered care with emphasis on nurse as leader and coordinator of care
NSG 8221 Synthesis and Capstone Practicum: 1 hour.
(Prerequisite: NSG 6100. Corequisite: NSG 8222). One hour practicum. Students will integrate advanced concepts of professionalism, leadership, and scholarship. Outcomes are application and dissemination of the capstone project written in NSG 8222. This practicum demonstrates the student’s ability to operationalize theory, research, and clinical expertise to improve patient, population, or organizational outcomes
NSG 8222 Synthesis and Capstone: 2 hours.
(Prerequisite: NSG 6000, NSG 6002. Corequisite: NSG 8221). Two hours lecture. Students will integrate advanced concepts of professionalism, leadership, and scholarship and produce a capstone project related to their selected area of emphasis. The capstone demonstrates ability to apply theory, research, and clinical expertise to improve patient, population, or organizational outcomes
NSG 8224 Person-Centered Care III: Practicum: 4 hours.
(Prerequisites: NSG 6116, NSG 6125, NSG 6134, NSG 6141, NSG 6152, NSG 6163; Corequisite: NSG 8213). Eight hours clinical lab. The final course in a three-part practicum series accompanying the Person-Centered Care course series
NSG 8232 Clinical Synthesis Practicum: 2 hours.
(Prerequisites: NSG 6116, NSG 6125, NSG 6134, NSG 6141, NSG 6152, NSG 6163). Clinical instruction. Designed to help the student synthesize and apply all previous coursework to the provision and coordination of comprehensive care for clients in a variety of spheres of care
NSG 8313 Advanced Physical Examination and Health Assessment: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Introductory health assessment or equivalent). Three hours lecture. Focuses on advanced theory and techniques of physical examination and assessment of human health across the life span, emphasizing competencies for advanced nursing practice. Laboratory experiences are integrated throughout the course and provide opportunities for hands-on skill development, simulation, and faculty evaluation of advanced assessment competencies
NSG 8323 Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Introductory pharmacology course or equivalent). Three hours lecture. Explores advanced pharmacotherapeutics and their effects on the human body. Emphasizes principles of pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics across broad agent categories, focusing on therapeutic applications and competencies for advanced nursing practice
NSG 8333 Advanced Pathophysiology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Introductory pathophysiology course or equivalent). Three hours lecture. This course focuses on advanced understanding of pathophysiology in the human body across the lifespan using a systems based approach. The course provides a comprehensive understanding of pathophysiology for advanced nursing practice competencies